NEWARK, N.J. –It’s not the first time that Sidney Crosby has endured a cheap shot and then responded with some magic. It’s also not the first time he’s reverted to his youth as a baseball player to score a goal that isn’t common in hockey.

And so, a familiar script repeated itself in what may have been the Penguins’ biggest game of the regular season.

Crosby was drilled with the butt-end of Travis Zajac’s stick late in the third period, remained on the bench in agony for a couple of minutes, returned, and buried the Devils in his own, unique way as the Penguins emerged from Prudential Center with a 4-3 overtime victory on Thursday.

After clanging a shot off the post, Crosby whacked the rebound out of midair and past goaltender Keith Kinkaid. When the puck went in, Crosby, who usually is somewhat subdued while celebrating goals, looked to the sky and roared.